


Carol Gives Monica Advice

by shamelessfiction (shamelssfiction)



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Carol Danvers loves her kid, F/F, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Monica loves her moms.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-15 15:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18501805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamelssfiction/pseuds/shamelessfiction
Summary: A quick little series of Carol giving Monica advice about boys and men throughout her life. Some of it is great, important advice. Some of it is...not.





	1. 1988

**Author's Note:**

> Wondering what kind of life and relationship advice Carol might give Monica. This time around she does great. As Monica gets older...maybe her advice is less great?

“No. Stop! Let go!”

Carol had been sitting on the side of the play area, leaning back on her hands and watching the clouds. Maria was doing maneouvers in a new F-15 today. Base was miles away, but still Carol squinted up to see if she could find her in the sky. But at the sound of Monica's shouts she snapped to attention. 

Monica was on the far side of the sandbox, digging and sifting with a few of her pre-school buddies. A boy Carol didnt recognize had joined the group, and was trying hard to grab a blue plastic shovel out of Monica's hand. 

“You can borrow when I’m done.” Monica said. She was stronger than the boy. She regained control of the shovel and tried to turn back to digging. 

The boy frowned. He picked up a handful of sand and threw it in Monica's face. 

Carol crossed the sandbox in two running steps and reached Monica as the first tears streamed down her cheeks.

The boy's mother had stepped forward too. She gave the boy a small frown but to Monica she said, “Don't cry sweetie. You know when a boy throws sand, it means that he likes you!”

“It absolutely does not.” Carol enunciated every syllable. “It means the boy is a little assh…”

Carol realized all the kids in the sandbox were staring up at her, eyes wide and mouths agape. 

“Uh...a...antisocial jerk.” Carol figured that was a safe correction. But some of the kids still gasped. The boy's mom glared. 

Carol ignored them all and knelt in front of Monica. She used the hem of her t-shirt to wipe sand and tears from Monica's face. 

“You ok, Lieutenant?,” she asked, her voice soft. 

Monica nodded through her tears.

The boy's mother was trying to speak to Carol. But Carol only glanced at her and spoke to the boy. 

“Apologize.” It was the same tone of voice she used on Airmen who screwed around during tricky maneuvers. 

“Sorry,” the boy mumbled, his face red. 

Carol nodded, satisfied. She bent to pick up Monica. 

“This your shovel, buddy?” Carol asked her. She didn't remember bringing it to the park. But then again, she wasn't always the best at keeping track of Monica’s jackets and lunch bags and toys. 

Monica shook her head. “Tara was sharing with us.”

Carol handed the blue shovel to Tara, a girl with a messy blonde ponytail and no front teeth. 

“Tara is the shovel master.” Carol announced. “She's in charge of how the sharing goes.” Carol looked pointedly at the boy's mom. 

The kids giggled. Tara beamed. 

Carol shifted Maria so she was carrying her piggy back. “Wanna find the ice cream truck?”

“Yeah!” Monica answered, pumping a small fist in the air. 

They left the playground with all the kids and moms staring after them. 

After a moment of silence, Tara said what everyone was thinking. 

“Woah. Monica's getting ice cream before lunch.”

 

Carol jogged away from the playground, jouncing Monica on her back to make her laugh. 

But as they got further away, she slowed down, then stopped. She stood Monica on a bench by the side of the path and bent so they were eye to eye. 

“Listen, Mon, this is important ok?”

Monica watched Carol carefully, the solemn look on her face incongruous with her chubby cheeks and doe eyes. 

“That kid's mom was wrong,” Carol said. “1000% wrong. When a boy hurts you, it doesn't mean they like you. It just means they are hurting you. And you do whatever you have to to stop them or get away and get help.”

“Yeah…” Monica said slowly. “But…”

Carol waited. 

“But…she...” Monica continued. “I mean...aren't moms supposed to know that?”

“Yeah, well. Some moms know the wrong stuff.” 

Monica thought that over for a minute. 

Carol thought it was time to lighten the mood. 

“Anyway,” she said. “Carols can know stuff too. Carols know the best stuff.”

She tickled Monica and made her laugh. 

Monica jumped down from the bench. “Lets race to the ice cream truck.”

“Ok,” Carol said. “But you gotta give me a head start. You are by far the fastest in the family.”

“Fair.” Monica said, and pointed to a tree at the bend in the path. “Head start up to there.” 

Carol took off running, and after a few seconds, Monica pelted after her. 

Even with the head start, Monica won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head canon - that boy who threw sands ends up with a crush on Carol for the rest of his life. So does his mom. 
> 
> Also i know Maria wasnt in this chapter but Im planning for her to pop up. I mean they are wives, after all.


	2. 1995

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Maria works on the quinjet with the Skrulls, Carol gives Monica a lesson in self defense.

“Auntie Carol?” 

Monica's whisper was a small sound in the wide, dark night. 

Carol sat up straight on the porch steps. She still wasnt quite used to the name. 

“Um. Yes?” Carol answered carefully. 

Monica opened the screen door and padded across the porch on bare feet. An oversized tshirt hung loose on her small frame, over pajama pants. Carol glanced at the shirt. 

Heart. 

That was mine, she realized. 

“Everything OK?” She asked. “Your mom is in the...”

“Oh yeah. I just can't sleep.” Monica sat down on the same step as Carol. She made sure to sit close, so her bare arm leaned against Carol's suit. 

Carol resisted the urge to shift away. The past few years had made her unfamiliar with casual affection, let alone from a child. But she knew moving away would hurt Monica. So she stayed still and after a moment, she let out a breath and relaxed. 

The night was filled with a chorus of frogs and crickets, the gentle hum punctuated by metallic banging and whirring from the shed where the Skrulls and Maria were working on the quinjet. 

Carol and Monica leaned back and watched the stars. Monica pointed up. “Lyra.”

Carol nodded. “Featuring the star Vega. Which is…”

“...25 light years away.” Monica finished the sentence. 

Carol looked at Monica, smiling. “You remember.”

Monica smiled back. “So do you.”

A more comfortable silence fell, and when Monica leaned her head against Carol's arm, Carol had no desire to move away. 

“You're a soldier now? I mean...besides the powers, they taught you to fight?”

“Hey. I could always fight.” Carol held up a solid fist and made it glow. 

Monica giggled. “Mom told me about that fight you started at Pancho's. When you escaped out the bathroom window.”

“She told you all that?” The memory was fuzzy for Carol. She didnt remember what the fight was about or who was involved. She remembered shimmying out a small bathroom window to find Maria waiting with the car. She remembered Maria's stern look fading when she smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss. She remembered Maria whispering “You're a menace,” against her skin before they kissed again and drove away. She remembered stopping halfway home because they just had to get lost in each other right then. 

“Well.” Carol cleared her throat. “My skills may have...improved. I did train in hand to hand combat for the past six years.”

“Can you teach me to fight?” Monica was eager. 

Carol frowned. “Why do you need to fight?”  
She did not like the idea of Monica engaged in combat, even if it was just with another child. She did not like that idea at all. 

Monica shrugged. “I dunno. Its just cool.”

Carol wasn't convinced. The flashes she had of Monica had nothing to do with violence or conflict. She kept her gaze trained on the girl until she squirmed. 

“Ok fine.” Monica said, finally. “There's just this kid Zach, he bugs me sometimes.”

“Bugs you how?” Carol asked, her voice sharp. She was shocked by the flash of fury that rocketed through her nervous system. Vers got angry or frustrated. But this was human rage, meant to protect and shield. 

Monica heard Carol's tone and hastened to calm her down. “Nothing horrible. Just really annoying.”

Carol was still skeptical. “Show me.”

Monica hopped up from the porch step and Carol followed. She faced Monica and Monica put two hands on Carol's forearm and made a twisting motion. 

“Like that,” Monica said. “To do a burn.”

“Unacceptable.” Carol declared, scowling. “Anything else?”

Monica nodded. “Sometimes he walks toward me real fast, to make me back up. And he's always bringing up how I dont have a dad.”

“Plenty of people in the universe don't have a father,” Carol scoffed.

“Well. Most people in my class do.”

Carol softened. She had a flash of her own father, the day she left home. “Not every father is...worthy of an amazing kid like you either.”

“I know. I really do.” Monica said. “But Zach still really bothers me. Can you please just teach me how to shut him up?”

“What about adults at school? Did you tell an instructor?” Carol shook her head and corrected herself. “...the teacher? Did you tell the teacher?” 

“Yeah, Ms. Lavery tells him to stop but she doesn't always see.”

“And your mother?”

Monica glanced toward the shed where her mother was working with the Skrulls. “I dont always tell her this kinda stuff. Sometimes she's already sad. I dont want to…”

Monica trailed off, but picked up a few seconds later with a new thought. “Its not just me either! He teases Aaron about his stutter. And Sammy because she only has one pair of jeans. He even pulled out Ms. Lavery's chair last week. She really could have gotten hurt.” 

Monica looked up and met Carol's gaze. “I I just want to be a hero like you.”

Carol's resolve melted. It was a familar feeling. In all the memories that were flooding back, saying no to Monica was not a frequent factor. 

“Ok. Ok. A few moves. But only if he starts first. Deal?”

“Yes!” Monica let out a little squeal of happiness and jumped up and down, thrilled. 

“Alright. So say he grabs your arm, do it again, like you showed me.”

Monica put her hands on Carol's arm again. 

“You bring your free hand up like this and reach across to grab his pinkie.”

Carol showed her, in slow motion. 

“Now you try.”

They switched positions and Monica reached across and fumbled for Carol's hand. 

“Just the pinkie.” Carol corrected. “Separate it and bring it up, away from the other fingers...yeah! Exactly. And now put your thumb on the other side of my fingernail like...yes. Great. Now turn my pinkie. Like a key.”

Monica hesitated.

“You won't hurt me. I promise. But go slow so you can see what you're doing.”

Gently and slowly, Monica turned Carol's finger. 

“In a real situation, he'll have to let go when you get about...there. You keep turning though…” Carol let Monica bend her wrist backwards, and start twisting her arm. 

“He'll have to let go?” Monica asked. 

“If he doesn't want a broken finger, yeah.”

“Cool.” 

“I know, right?” Carol grinned. “So anyway, you can keep twisting from here and put your other hand on his shoulder. You can either hold him like that or just push him away.”

“Got it.” 

“Good. Let's go again. Faster this time.”

Monica went through the moves again with more confidence. Still, Carol put her through it four more times before she was satisfied. 

“Nice.” Carol said after their last round. “If you do it that fast, you'll break his finger whether he turns or not. So just...decide what you're going for before you start.”

Monica saluted Carol. “Yes ma'am.”

Carol couldn't stop smiling. She shook her head to refocus. 

“Now. That's fine for playground stuff. But if you are ever in a real tough spot, you can always just grab for the trachea. Really get your fingers around in here.” Carol poked at the soft sides of her own throat, demonstrating for Monica. “Really shoot your arm forward and grab. Like you're trying to make a fist.”

Monica followed Carol's instructions, shot a skinny arm out and grabbed at the humid air in front of her. 

“Yes!” Carol nodded. “But really. For emergencies only. You could literally crush someone's trachea.”

“Do I want to know why you two are on the lawn discussing crushing tracheas at two o'clock in the morning?” 

Carol whirled around to find Maria standing with a hand on her hip and slightly bemused look on her face. 

Carol glanced at Monica. Monica stifled a laugh and shook her head, no. 

“Uh...no?” Carol ventured. 

“Great. I'm too tired to worry about it anyway.” Maria said, yawning. “Been a helluva day.”

“Back to bed, kiddo.” She motioned for Monica to come to her, and Monica went, snuggling into her mom's side. 

Maria headed toward the porch, then stopped and turned to Carol. 

“You too. You cant sit out here on the porch all night.”

“Oh. Well. No. I…”

Maria shook her head. “Glowing hands or not, there's no way I'm flying that souped up thing with you in the morning unless you've had a few hours of shut eye. Come lie down.”

Carol swallowed her questions about where exactly Maria wanted her to lie down and followed them inside. 

Upstairs, Monica gave Carol a squeeze around the waist and disappeared into her room. Maria beckoned Carol across the hall and handed her a tshirt and a soft pair of shorts.

“You can change in here,” she said, gesturing to her bedroom before heading into the bathroom with her own pajamas. 

Carol did as she was told, slipped into the pajamas and sat awkwardly on the edge of Maria's bed.

Before Maria returned, there was a knock at the door and Monica poked her head into the room. “I still can't sleep,” she said. 

“Oh.” Carol wasnt sure what else to say. 

Monica was sure where she wanted to be. She entered the room and made herself comfortable in the exact middle of the king sized bed. 

“Oh.” Carol said again. She watched Monica curl up and close her eyes. Within moments she was snoring softly. 

“So typical.” Maria reentered the room, pointed at Monica and smiled. 

Carol chewed the inside of her cheek while she watched Maria put her clothes in the hamper, take off her necklace and lay it in a jewlery box on the dresser. She watched Maria turn out the light. 

“This is how it was.” Carol said. It was mostly not a question. 

“A lot like this.” Maria said, settling back against the pillows on the other side of Monica. 

Carol shifted so she was laying on her side, looking at Maria across Monica's sleeping form. 

“Not just like this though,” she said. 

Maria laughed softly. “With Monica around plenty of nights were exactly like this.” 

Carol kept her eyes on Maria. 

Maria sighed. “It's a lot for one day, Carol. For all of us.”

Carol nodded. “But you want me here?” 

“I want you right here.” 

In the dark she couldn't see if Maria was crying. But she did feel Maria reach across Monica to touch her hand. She reciprocated, and they ended up with their joined hands resting on Monica's shoulder. 

Long quiet moments passed. Carol figured Maria had fallen asleep. But then she heard her say, “When we get back you teach me that trachea grab, ok?”

Carol laughed. “Yeah. Ok.”

They both smiled, and slid into dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love comments! Let me know what you think of this series so far.
> 
> Im thinking the next thing Monica wants help with will be more of a teen romance problem. How will Carol do with that?


	3. 1998

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monica is 14 and having new kinds of problems. Carol still wants to help.

“Yeah. Yes. YES. No way. He didnt…!”

Carol looked over her shoulder. She was at the kitchen table fiddling with the new communicator she was making for Maria. She had upgraded several elements from the first communicator she had cobbled together her first time back on earth. Now their calls would go through faster and sound clearer, the holograms would come in sharper and in color. This morning she was adding a few final special features, keeping busy while Maria was at work. 

Monica had been on the phone for the past half hour. From the frequent squeals and giggling, Carol was pretty sure Monica was talking with her best friend Gracie. This perplexed Carol. Monica had stayed over Gracie's last night. But apparently in the hour since Monica had been home, there were all new things to squeal over. 

Carol put down the communicator and stretched, before walking over to the fridge to serve herself an iced tea. She set the full glass down on the counter while she turned around to grab an apple from the bowl on the table. When she turned around, the drink was in Monica's hand, and she had already gulped down half. 

Carol sighed and got herself another glass. Overall, Monica was still the level headed, brilliant girl she had always been. But she was also 14, rowdy and ravenous and more than a little self centered. 

“I will. But...I can't! I can't! Nooooo.” 

Carol too a bite of the apple and leaned against the counter, watching Monica with interest. Her own teen years had been less happy and giggly, far more fraught with tension at home. This version of 14 was new for her to be a part of. 

“I want to. But i wouldnt even know how...Ohmigod do you think she would?? Id die. He would never…”

Carol glanced at the clock on the stove. She and Monica had planned to go see a movie at noon. Hopefully Monica could be surgically removed from the phone in time to make the show.

But Monica surprised her. By the time Carol was throwing her apple core in the trash, Monica had hung up the phone, and was finishing the rest of her iced tea, subdued. 

Carol blinked, a little shocked at the change in tone. Maria had told her Monica was very up and down lately, but she'd only been home a few days and hadn’t experienced this level of emotional whiplash so far. 

“Uh...everything ok?” Carol asked.

“Yeah…” Monica's gaze was unfocused, her mouth fixed in a frown. 

“You do not...seem ok?” 

Carol chose her words carefully. Being gone for long periods of time was hard on all of them. A few months was a lifetime in Monica's world. Every visit, she was at least two inches taller, and it seemed to Carol like she was lightyears farther away. 

Maria told her not to worry too much. She lived with Monica every day, and felt the same distance growing. It was just part of growing up, Maria would say, and place a kiss on Carol's furrowed brow. Still, Carol hated it. She missed her lispy, snuggly little girl. She missed the days when she could fix everything with a trip to the ice cream truck. 

Or at least have a clue about what was making her kid miserable. Monica offered no comment. 

Carol tried again. “Everything ok with Gracie?”

“Yeah,” Monica answered. 

“School?” Carol tried, even though she knew Monica was easily making straight As as well as studying engineering and programming at home with Maria and herself. 

“Its fine.” 

“Ok.” 

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Carol resigned herself to being kept in the dark, and sat down again with the communicator. She was looking down, gently adjusting a small screw when Monica spoke.

“There's a dance. Coming up.”

“Oh.” Carol kept it simple, half scared that shed say something to make Monica clam up again, and half genuinely perplexed. She'd never been to a school dance. She'd never had the slightest interest in any boys who asked. She’d spent the night of her school’s junior prom racing dirt bikes with her friend Roy. Around two am she’d snuck in through Jenny Davis’ window to hear all about how disappointing Jenny’s date had been, and then trade long satisfying kisses until the sun came up. That experience did not seem relevant to Monica's current concerns. 

“It’s a Sadie Hawkins Day dance,” Monica said.

That did ring a bell. “When the girls ask the boys right?”

Monica nodded. “Yeah. I mean I know girls could ask boys any time. But yeah.”

“Are...you…” Carol held her breath. Could she ask? 

She decided to fall back on what she knew was common ground. 

“Hold this for me with the screwdriver while I solder it?” Carol asked. 

Monica bent over the communicator, and Carol fired up a micro soldering iron that she had lifted from the Starforce. 

“You asking anyone?” Carol hoped it came out casually. 

Monica didn’t look up. 

“Uh. Maybe?”

“That what you and Gracie were talking about?”

“Hmmm.”

Silence fell between them again, and Carol figured they had exhausted Monica’s willingness to share. At least they could work companionably. Carol finished the soldering and bumped Monica’s shoulder with an affectionate nudge. 

Monica burst into tears. 

Carol looked at her, aghast. The last time she had been this unnerved by Monica’s behavior, Monica had been a month old, and burping solved everything. Now, Carol was stymied by the wailing teenager in front of her. 

Carol at least wanted to offer her a tissue. But the best she could find at hand was the greasy rag she had been wiping her oily hands on while working. Carol turned to Monica and lamely held it out to her.

As always, Monica had a better idea. She threw herself into Carol’s arms and wiped her tears on Carol’s t-shirt. 

“Everything is horrible.” Monica snuffled into Carol’s shoulder. 

“It’s ok.” Carol assured her. With Monica in her arms, she was gaining confidence. “Whatever it is, I’ll help you. We’ll figure it out together.”

She tightened her grasp and hugged Monica to her. Monica clung on, but said miserably, “You can’t help.”

“Monica, I can fly at the speed of light and blast energy beams from my fists. I can probably help.” 

“It’s a different kind of problem.” Monica wiped her nose on Carol’s t-shirt again and pulled away. 

“Try me.”

Monica hesitated but finally said, “Ugh, fine. How do you ask someone to a dance?”

Carol blinked. 

“You see!” Monica said. “I told you you can’t help.”

“No. No, I got this. Really.” Carol insisted. “I’ve asked people out. I’ve asked tons of people out!”

“Really? How many people, besides Mom?” Monica was suddenly deeply intrigued. 

“Don’t...I’m not...don’t worry about that part,” Carol was not about to get into an accounting of the two years she pined over Maria, trying to distract herself by chasing after every halfway interesting woman within a 30 mile radius. Of course, none of it worked. Thankfully, Maria had eventually put her out of her misery and kissed her. 

“Fine,” Monica huffed. “Don’t tell me anything.” She threw herself into a chair. 

“Monica, you’re a great person. You are smart and pretty and you have about three thousand great ideas a minute. I’m sure lots of boys would be happy to go to the dance with you.” 

Monica snorted. “Smart. Dana Price has long blonde hair and shirts so tight you can see the lace on her bra. And I’m...smart!”

“Hey. Woah. I’m sure any boy you really want to go to the dance with is interested in more than blonde hair and...lace.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“Well,” Carol said. “Who do you want to ask anyway?”

Monica leaned back and threw an arm across her face. “Dddpphhhnnn.” she said. 

“Try again?” 

“Julian.” 

“Oh. He’s fine!” Carol was relieved. She knew Julian. He had been over a few days ago, Monica taught him how to fix the chain that kept slipping off his bike. Carol had noticed how he listened carefully to Monica. And only ate half of the cookies Maria put out when she could tell he wanted to eat them all. 

“Gracie said if I dont ask him, Dana will and he'll say yes and I'll die.”

“So ask him.”

“Hooow?” Monica groaned as if she were in pain.

“With...words?” Carol squinted at Monica. 

“Yeah, right, just walk up to him like an idiot and be like come to the dance with me?” 

“Umm...ok. maybe something a little flashier? You wanna borrow the Mustang and drive by his house?”

“Carol! I don't even have a license.”

Carol shrugged and grinned. “I taught you how to drive. And you're tall enough to reach the pedals without sitting on my lap. Good to go.”

Monica gave her withering look. 

“Okay, okay, Maria probably wouldn't like that one anyway.”

Carol thought for a minute. 

“Make him a cake?” Carol suggested. Maria had made her a cake on base once, somehow managed a fluffy birthday cake covered in Carol's favorite gooey chocolate frosting even though they had no kitchen access in the barracks. She would have said yes to anything Maria asked while eating that cake.

Monica rolled her eyes. “You've tasted my cooking. Not my strong suit.”

“Oookay. Then go with your talents. Tech can be romantic too. Look, I rigged this communicator up for Maria, its synched up with my biometrics so when I press a hand to my chest here…” Carol put her hand over her heart. “It glows red, so she knows I'm thinking of her.”

Monica watched the communicator glow for a moment. 

“It's also gonna glow anytime someone punches you in the chest,” she said, looking up at Carol. 

“Well. I'm thinking of her then too.”

Monica slumped further down in her chair, and Carol drummed her fingers on the top of the table, impatient. If this was a typical fourteen year old social life, she wasn't sad she had skipped it. She glanced at the local time readout on the communicator. It was already 11. They really had to get going to the movie. 

Carol made a decision. 

“Ok Lieutenant, on your feet.”

Monica looked up, but did not move. 

“That's an order from your Capitan.” 

Monica scowled. But she got up. 

“Forward march. To the phone.” Monica dragged her feet, but she crossed the kitchen. 

“Call that boy and ask him to the dance. You have...10 minutes while I go wash up. I expect a full report when I return. Understood?”

Monica chewed on her bottom lip. But she reached for the phone. 

“And Lieutenant,” Carol added. “Remember...you are Monica Rambeau. And he's some kid who didnt even know enough to grease his bike chain until you told him.”

Monica cracked a smile. “Thanks, Mom.”

Carol smiled and gave Monica a quick hug. These days Monica switched between Aunt Carol, Carol and Mom pretty regularly. Still, “mom” always gave Carol a warm feeling. 

As Carol headed up the stairs, she heard Monica pick up the phone and dial. That kid better say yes, she thought. She'd hate to have to dangle him a few miles off the ground while he thought over his terrible choices. 

Fortunately for everyone, Julian was thrilled to go to the dance with Monica.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Ill do one or two more in this series this week. Its been so fun and so great seeing that people are enjoying it! What did you think of this one? Any ideas for other situations Monica might need help with? Im open to suggestions.


End file.
